Forbes has recently published its 21st annual list of the world's 100 most powerful women. The list features influential women from various fields such as business, entertainment, politics, charity, and policymaking. This year, three Indian women have made it onto the list, highlighting their impressive achievements in their industries. 

Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman is ranked 28th on the list. She is India’s Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs. In May 2019, she became the first woman to hold this role full-time, and she was reappointed after the 2024 general elections. She manages India’s economy, which is worth $4 trillion, making it the fifth-largest in the world. Nirmala has set big goals, predicting that India will soon pass Japan and Germany to become the third-largest economy by 2027.

Nirmala Sitharaman also works to empower women financially. She supports projects that help women start businesses, get access to loans, and learn about managing money. In her career, she has worked for the Agricultural Engineers Association in the UK and the BBC World Service. She has also been a member of India’s National Commission for Women.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra: Ranked 81

Roshni Nadar Malhotra is ranked 81st on the list. She is the chairperson of HCL Technologies and the CEO of HCL Corporation. HCL Technologies is one of India’s top IT companies, and under her leadership, the company, worth $12 billion, has been growing in the global tech industry.

Apart from her work in technology, Roshni is also a trustee at the Shiv Nadar Foundation, which focuses on improving education and developing leading educational institutions in India. She started The Habitats Trust, an initiative to protect natural habitats and endangered species. Roshni has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a background in journalism.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Ranked 82

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is ranked 82nd on the list. She is the founder and chairperson of Biocon, a biotechnology company she started in 1978. Biocon has grown to be one of the biggest companies in biotechnology and expanded internationally, including in the US. The company also runs one of the largest insulin manufacturing plants in Asia, located in Malaysia.

Mazumdar-Shaw has achieved great success, including Biocon Biologics’ purchase of Viatris' biosimilars business for $3.3 billion in 2022 and a successful public offering for Bicara Therapeutics. Although she once dreamed of becoming a doctor, she chose a different path and became a leader in the pharmaceutical industry. In 2019, she and her late husband donated $7.5 million to the University of Glasgow to help with cancer research.